Conversations with John Steinbeck

by Thomas C. Fensch (Editor)

In Conversations with John Steinbeck Thomas Fensch collects all of Steinbeck's public interviews and allows him to speak in his own behalf in an illuminating expression of his intentions, goals and achievements.

From the beginnings of his career through his last years, the interviews reveal a

fascinating, controversial and captivating personality. In the thirties and forties he made readers socially aware, and in the years following publication of Tortilla Flat, The Grapes of Wrath and Cannery Row, Steinbeck attempted to hide from publicity and controversy.

By the time he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, Steinbeck had become a citizen of the world, but some critics groused that he was awarded the prize for dated work from the 1930s.

This collection is invaluable for Steinbeck scholars and students.

Genres: Nonfiction

151 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[cristina]

i know he packin

[Emmy]

Beautiful, moving, and deeply personal, these interviews, which ironically did not say much on their own, spoke volumes about a great man. I've always felt that John Steinbeck was more than a writer--he was a friend, and it was wonderful to take the time to learn a little more about my friend. He's a dear, dear man and I really wish I could have known him in person. Still, I feel like this book has brought me a couple of steps closer.

[Steven]

If you want to know something about America's greatest author but don't the the time or attention span for a full-on biography, this is the book for you.

Steinbeck was a shy man and, despite his ongoing moonlighting as a journalist himself, he didn't much care for the press. So it's nice to have this collection of interviews with the author combined into one volume, showing the progression of his career from when he was first deemed worthy of coverage to very near the end of his life. I didn't learn much of anything new, but it was good to read Steinbeck's own answers to questions I've seen biographers raise.

It's short, it's very easy to read, and it's John Steinbeck. Of course I recommend it.

[Jill Cook]

This is the first of the "Conversations with..." collection I have read and I really enjoyed it. I picked this up somewhere and thought it might be interesting - I had never been much of a John Steinbeck fan after the dreaded high school readings but had recently reread those works and found a new found appreciation for him. After reading this the appreciation has grown deeper.

I can't wait to order some of the others and see how they compare to this one.

[Steven Wayne]

Super interesting to see what made this introverted writer tick. If you are into Steinbeck's writing, read this book; if you are not so enthusiastic on John Steinbeck, you would find these interviews seriously boring.

[Gregory Cain]

A helpful tool to understand this literary giant

A longtime fan of his works, this book greatly helped me to understand Steinbeck's approaches and personality. A wonderful writer, a great man.

[Millions]

If you love Steinbeck, this is a lovely collection of some personal interactions with him. I liked seeing a younger Steinbeck than the one typically reflected in his later writings.

[David Norwood]

A must read for Steinbeck fans.

[Sara]

John Steinbeck has been a writer I’ve been reading to completion. I have a few more books left, but when I saw this book of articles/interviews, I knew I wanted to read it. I liked how it was organized chronologically, and followed his career growth. The
last article, on his death, broke my heart. Overall, this was a great read if you’re trying to learn more about Steinbeck.